Originally released during the height of the global pandemic, this episode returns as we approach the March 11 anniversary of the COVID-19 national emergency. Featuring Pew Research Center’s Kim Parker and Richard Fry, the conversation examines how COVID-19 reshaped the social and economic lives of Millennials and Gen Z—generations already navigating significant challenges before the crisis. This rebroadcast offers perspective on what changed, what endured, and what these findings continue to reveal today.

This podcast is created by the Sandra Day O'Connor Institute. The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the Sandra Day O'Connor Institute. We offer a platform of civil discourse to allow for disparate views to be discussed and explored.

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Education. The economy. Technology. Civil discourse. These issues shape our daily lives and shared future. In this public square we reviewed recent poll results from our Civics for Life Community App, exchanged perspectives, and explored how respectful dialogue and civic participation can help shape the year ahead.

The Sandra Day O’Connor Institute offers a platform of civil discourse to allow diverse views to be discussed and explored. The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the Institute.

Civil | Collaborative | Fact-based | Inclusive | Non-partisan | Objective

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First released in 2021, this conversation feels increasingly relevant as social media continues to shape how Americans communicate, disagree, and connect. Monica Anderson of the Pew Research Center and Beau Kiniry of BuzzFeed explore whether civil discourse can coexist with today’s digital platforms—and how online speech influences relationships, public dialogue, and civic life. As polarization persists, the discussion invites listeners to reflect on how we engage with one another in the digital realm.

This podcast is created by the Sandra Day O'Connor Institute. The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the Sandra Day O'Connor Institute. We offer a platform of civil discourse to allow for disparate views to be discussed and explored.

You can find us at: https://oconnorinstitute.org/

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This special episode from our original Constitution Series returns in honor of Black History Month, spotlighting the life and ideas of Thomas Sowell, one of America’s most influential and thought-provoking thinkers. Drawing from Jason L. Riley’s landmark biography Maverick, the program traces Sowell’s journey from a Black orphan growing up in the Jim Crow South to a leading voice in economics, race, and political thought. Featuring insights from Sowell himself, along with interviews from colleagues and those he inspired, this episode explores why he is so often called “the smartest person in the room.”

Listen to this podcast on your favorite platform, or watch the conversation on our YouTube channel.

This podcast is created by the Sandra Day O'Connor Institute. The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the Sandra Day O'Connor Institute. We offer a platform of civil discourse to allow for disparate views to be discussed and explored.

You can find us at: https://oconnorinstitute.org/

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How does today’s polarized climate shape what—and how—civics is taught in America’s classrooms?

This Public Square virtual conversation was inspired by the Sandra Day O’Connor Institute’s latest policy brief, “Why Are Teachers Uncomfortable Teaching Civics?” The research offers an urgent look at the challenges many civics educators face when teaching the very subject they were hired to lead.

The findings are striking: K–12 civics teachers across the country report feeling underprepared, unsupported, and increasingly hesitant to teach essential civic knowledge in an environment marked by heightened scrutiny and division.

To explore these realities, the O’Connor Institute convened educators, experts, and engaged citizens from 36 states for a thoughtful Public Square online discussion examining what this means for classrooms—and for our democracy.

Learn more about the research at oconnorinstitute.org/research.

Listen to the conversation on your favorite podcast platform, or watch the full discussion on our YouTube channel.

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Perhaps no extant product of the U.S. Constitution has received more bipartisan animus than the Electoral College. Since 1800 there have been more than 700 proposals introduced in Congress to amend or eliminate the way in which America chooses its presidents. Yet the Electoral College lives on.

Why do we have this system? Why does it inspire such cross-party antipathy? Can it be changed -- should it be changed? -- and if so how?

The Sandra Day O'Connor Institute welcomed participants from 36 states to our Public Square online discussion on the topic.

This podcast is created by the Sandra Day O'Connor Institute. The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the Sandra Day O'Connor Institute. We offer a platform of civil discourse to allow for disparate views to be discussed and explored.

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In his book The Quest for Character, Massimo Pigliucci asks: can good character be taught?

Through an exploration of Greek and Roman philosophy, and especially the interaction of Socrates and Alcibiades, Pigliucci helps us understand what makes a good leader, and how we can educate others, and ourselves, to be better people and citizens.

This podcast is created by the Sandra Day O'Connor Institute. The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the Sandra Day O'Connor Institute. We offer a platform of civil discourse to allow for disparate views to be discussed and explored.

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Do open primaries and ranked-choice voting have the potential to improve American elections, or will they create more problems than they solve? Kevin Meyer, former lieutenant governor of Alaska; Steve Goldstein, executive director of Save Democracy AZ; and Jaime Molera, former Arizona superintendent of public instruction join the O'Connor Institute and Civics for Life to discuss the issue.

This podcast is created by the Sandra Day O'Connor Institute. The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the Sandra Day O'Connor Institute. We offer a platform of civil discourse to allow for disparate views to be discussed and explored.

You can find us at: https://oconnorinstitute.org/

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